Travis Barker
Louder Than Fear
Jason Landry, contributor
Experiencing loss can have a lasting effect. But when someone loses multiple people within a short span—the very people that inspired you, motivated you, and that you surrounded yourself with every day, one might contemplate, why am I still here?
This was Travis Barker’s dilemma. After the passing of his mother, who was the bedrock figure that inspired him to play drums to the fateful plane crash that killed two of his best friends and seriously injured himself and his music collaborator DJ AM, Barker had trouble coping. This type of post-traumatic stress disorder is commonly known as survivor’s syndrome or survivor’s guilt.
The documentary examines Barker’s life from starting drums at 4 to playing in the high school band to joining his first punk band. Once he started to get tattoos, his father gave him an ultimatum, get a real job or move out. He bounced and joined a band and began working as a trash collector on Laguna Beach.
People were mesmerized by Barker’s aggressive and dynamic style of drumming. During one such concert that included multiple bands on the bill including Blink 182, Barker was asked last minute to fill in for Blink’s drummer because he had to leave due to some emergency. And just like that, the trio clicked.
Where the documentary truly shines is how open and honest it is. Barker discussed his addiction to pain meds which he took at first to calm him when he had to take a flight, then gradually it was all the time. Once the plane crash happened and he had severe burns throughout much of his lower extremities, the pain meds they tried to administer in the hospital were not strong enough because of his high tolerance. His friend DJ AM who was sober before the accident had trouble coping and soon died of a fatal drug overdose.
Rather than dwelling solely on tragedy, the final act serves as an inspiring testament to human perseverance. Barker eventually got back to touring, but he wouldn’t fly again. If the tour was heading to Europe, he would take a nine-day ship cross the Atlantic and practice every day. Eventually he stopped taking drugs, became a vegan, and began a serious exercise program, including taking up running. He was determined to be a better father and would spend as much time as possible with his kids including taking them on tour with him. There are a lot of rock star stories that don’t have a happy ending. He found healing through drumming and true happiness from within.
Besides interviews with current and past bandmates, a number of notable drummers were interviewed for this doc including, Stewart Copeland from The Police, Tommy Lee from Motley Crue, Lars Ulrich from Metallica, and the late Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters.